Broken Smile, Beautiful Soul
by Caskettsquint
Summary: She was a whirlwind, she never half did anything, and that included loving him. He wasn't anything special, but he was determined to solve the mystery of her soul. Their love was so simple, yet so complex, and that is what made it timeless.


**A/N: Hi! This is just a one shot I wrote, it does really fall into any category ? But please review, thank you!**

He was plain. No more special than any other guy on the street. There was only one thing that stood out about him, his eyes, blue. Not the typical, light blue that's all too often romanticized, but a dark, almost grey, blue. His eyes held oceans of thought and a universe of emotion. And those eyes are what she noticed first when he walked into the room.

She was different. Not traditionally pretty, but something about her demanded your attention. Red lipstick, messy hair, quick wit. She was the kind of person that was hard to read, most people never could tell what she was thinking. But that's the way she liked it. She was dangerous and exciting all at once, and that was the first thing he noticed when she sat herself down and tossed him a smirk.

Two worlds could not have been more different, but when they collided, baby was it a sight to see.

They didn't speak to each other for the longest time until he sat down one day and she spun her head around to face him. "Well?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow. He was confused, "Are you talking to me?" He asked, his face resembling that of a lost puppy. "Nah I'm talking to the troll on your shoulder. Yes I'm talking to you! Aren't you gonna introduce yourself?" She rolled her eyes and slid her arm a little closer to his, so that her wrist just barely connected with his fingertips. All it took was that one touch, and they both saw fire. Not your cliche sparks, but burning, roaring flames of desire that stopped time and sped it up all at once. He opened his mouth but no words came out and she blushed. She never blushes, to blush is to show emotion and emotion is not something she shows. "It's not that hard, I'll go first. I'm Aria and you're quiet, but you listen. You tap your pencil and you stare at me a lot." She says, after she has a minute to recover. "Aria" he says, blushing. "I like that. I'm Travis you act like you're tough but I can see right through you. You're not who you pretend to be, and I don't know why, but that's okay." He gained confidence as he spoke. Something about her made him feel like he could do anything. "I don't know what you're talking about" she bristled, but her cheeks turned a deep crimson. She turned around and scribbled something on a scrap of paper. "Here's my number" she whispered "Use it."

And so he did, as soon as he got home that night he texted her. He couldn't wait any longer, he felt drawn to her, and the way her name rolled off his tongue made him want to whisper it into her hair everyday for the rest of his life. She was a mystery to be solved and he was determined to be the one to do it.

She snuck in his window every night. "Are you just gonna leave me out in the cold?" She would joke. "Never." He would reply. At first, it threw him off. He wasn't used to something so spontaneous yet so routine, but he liked it. Some nights she came in and laid with him on his bed and they would talk. They could talk about anything, for they found solace and peace in each other. Other times they would just lay in silence. It was on these nights that she let her guard down. She took off her mask and he began to see glimpses of the real her, a girl marked by sadness yet full of life. It was on these nights that he began to solve the mystery that was her soul.

Other nights, he would come out and they would lay on the roof, taking in the stars. She would ask why humans ever invited roofs, for who would want to miss such beauty. He would reply with something reasonable, and she would laugh. Their nights were ever changing, and ever constant. They were a lot like life, there was a certain expectancy to them, a routine, yet everyday something a little different happened. They brought her a certain stability that she yearned for, and him a glint of adventure. Their nights were all they really needed.

"Have you ever had your heart broken?" He asked as they lay staring at the starry sky one night.

"Broken? No. The heart is a muscle, it can't be broken." She replied after a moment.

He chuckled, "So you don't believe in heartbreak?"

"No. But I do believe the heart can be crushed. Smashed by secrets and stomped on by words. The heart is very fragile you know, and once it's been crushed it's never quite the same as before. Once a heart has been crushed, it becomes timid and hesitant to trust."

"So has your heart ever been crushed?" He whispered after a moment.

"Yes." Came her soft reply. "It has."

He knew not to push any further, she had begun to let him in and the last thing he wanted was to be shoved away. So he said nothing, only reached over to squeeze her hand.

They didn't speak anymore that night, but when she sat up to leave, she paused. "Thank you." She whispered before placing a lingering kiss on his temple and turning to leave. He didn't move, he didn't say a word. He sat just the way she left him, his fingers running over the spot where her lips connected with his temple. They were cold, but when her lips touched his pale skin they set a fire that put the sun to shame.

When he woke the next morning, he couldn't bear to wash away the stain of her red lips. So he didn't, and later that day when he caught her eye, she blushed.

That night started out like any other, with the quick taps on the window pane, her question, his answer. On this particular night, she came inside. It was January and too cold for him to come out. When she stepped into the light from his desk lamp, he could tell she had been crying. This had never happened before, he had never seen her like this. "Aria?" He whispered as he rushed over to her. "What happened, are you okay?" "Yeah" She replied, holding back tears. "I'm fine." He pulled her into his embrace and led her to his bed. He held her in his arms while silent tears rolled down her cheeks. "You're not fine, but it's okay" He whispered into her hair. "It's okay to cry."

They sat in silence, him stroking her hair and her letting tears fall. They stayed this way for nearly an hour before she spoke. "They were always so happy." She whispered. "My parents, that is. They never fought, they were so in love. Then something changed. Dad started bringing home other women while Mom was away, I don't think she knew. I don't understand how he could just throw away her trust like that. He just dropped the best thing that ever happened to him for what, a hookup with pretty face? When she found out, she didn't yell or scream. She just stood there, I think she was in shock. When she started crying, it crushed me. They got a divorce when I was 12, and Mom died when I was 14. Cancer. I live with my dad, if you can call him that. He comes home drunk with a different woman every week and I don't know how to deal with it Travis. It kills me every single day to walk in that door and see the man that was my hero wasting his life when he doesn't even remember half of it. I don't think I can do it anymore, its crushed my heart." She collapsed into tears and he pulled her close. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear and kissed her forehead. They remained silent even after her tears ceased and when it came time for her to leave, she lingered for just a moment longer before kissing his cheek and sliding out the window.

When he saw her the next morning, she had a smile on her face and looked as spunky as usual. He could see through it all, though, but it didn't change a thing. She was still Aria, and he was still Travis.

Their nights remained the same, Aria would ask the same question and get the same answer, but there was a sort of unspoken agreement. If she had been crying, he didn't try to comfort her, or ask her what was wrong. He just held her close and held her tight.

"Promise me something" She whispered one night as they lay on the roof.

"Anything" He replied as he turned his head to face her.

"Promise me you won't be like him, won't do what he did." She asked, and though she never said any names, he knew.

L

"Never." He promised, and with that, she kissed him. When their lips connected, he felt the fire of a thousand suns erupt across his mouth. Their kiss was soft, but full of emotion. It didn't last long, but it stopped time. "Guess I don't need to kiss your cheek after that" she smiled as she got up to leave. She did anyways.

He sat on the roof for an extra hour that night, just thinking that the brightest stars in the galaxy could not compare to the light he saw in her eyes and the largest of fires could not compare to the feeling of her lips on his. The wonders of the universe were held within her hands and in her arms he found solace and peace. If this was love, he thought, then he wished for nothing more than to love her with all of his heart until the end of time.


End file.
